Soap admixing and dispensing device



Nov. 17, 1964 H. SHERRIFFE SOAP ADMIXING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 2, 1963 2/ //v l/E/V TOR Lou/E H JHMR/FFE A T TORNEYS United States Patent 3,157,320 50 A? ADMIXHJG AND DISPENSING DEVICE Louie H. Sherriife, 1419 Seminary Ave.,

Ualrland 12, Calif. Filed Mar. 22, 1963', Ser. No. 267,182 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-4251) This invention relates generally to soap admixing and dispensing devices, and is more particularly directed to a soap saving device into which normally unusable bits and pieces of bars of. soap may be placed and effectively admixed with water for simultaneous dispensing as a soap solution to a dishpan or the like.

After extended use bars of soap are reduced to such a small size that they are no longer satisfactory for use in the normally intended manner. In fact, it is virtually impossible to effectively utilize a bar of soap in its entirety without resorting to some departure from its usual manner of manipulation. The remnant bit or pieces of a partially consumed bar of soap may of course be conserved by dissolving them in a dishpan, tub, or the like of Water to provide a soap solution which may serve a useful purpose. However, this is usually a tedious task since the soap does not dissolve readily unless it is agitated in the water or some other action taken to hasten the rate at which the soap dissolves. It is therefore the common practice to] discard these remaining small bits of bars of soap as unusable.

Economically, advantages are therefore to be gained by the provision of a. mechanism for admixing normally discardedbits and pieces of soap bars with water in a highly effective manner which promotes the rapid dissolving of the soap to form a soap solution which may be directly dispensed to a dishpan or the like for use. Aside from the soap conservation which may be facilitated by such a mechanism it will be appreciated that advantages may likewise accrue in other soap mixing and dispensing applications where conservation is not involved. For example, it is sometimes desirable to dissolve fresh, or only partially consumed bars of soap in water to provide a soap solution. The dissolving process is quite slow, and accordingly benefits are gained where provision is made to hasten the process. Thus a highly effective admixing and dispensing mechanism may be advantageously employed to the foregoing end, even though it may entail the intentional reduction of the soap bar to small pieces.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a soap admixing and dispensing device for rapidly dissolving pieces or bits of soap in water and simultaneously dispensing the resulting soap solution to a dishpan or the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the class described which is so arranged that water, in flowing through the device, establishes a vortex having an extremely effective scrubbing or agitating action on soap bits therein productive of rapid dissolving of the soap in the water during transit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a soap admixing and dispensing device of the character described which is of a simple and economical design.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a soap admixing and dispensing device in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken at line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken at line 33 of FIGURE 2, illustrating particularly a novel vane arrangement of the device for producing a vortex from water passing through the device.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, but of a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing" there will be seen to be provided a soap admixing and dispensing device 11 which is arranged to rapidly dissolve pieces of soap in water during the flow of the latter through the device. As a result a soap solution may be continuously rapidly produced in, and dispensedfrom the device into an underlying dishpan, tub, or the like. The soap used with the device 11 may be advantageously bits or pieces of partially consumed soap bars which are normally considered too small or brittle to be of further use and consequently commonly discarded. The device hence facilitates a saving in soap by enabling such normally discarded soap bits to be used for cleaning purposes. Soap pieces obtained by cutting up whole bars of soap may be alternatively employed in the device in other instances.

Generally, the soap admixing and dispensing device 11 includes a container 12 having a top opening for the introduction of a stream of water from a faucet or the like. The lower end of container 12 is provided with dispensing apertures 13, 14 in respectively its peripheral and basewalls. In addition, a novel system of vanes 16 project into the interiorof the container, which vanes produce a vortex from the stream of water introduced to the container. Soap bits disposed within the container are rapidly dissolved in the water by virtue of the agitation and swirling action effected by the vortex. A soap solution is thus continuously dispensed from the apertures 13, 14. I

In the preferred structure of the device outlined above, the container 12 is advantageously of cylindrical cupped configuration and formed of a cheap structural material such as plastic, sheet metal, or the like. A loop handle 17 is secured between diametrically opposed points of the peripheral wall of the container adjacent its open top end to facilitate support of the container upon a faucet 18, as depicted in FIGURE 1, in a position wherein the open end of the container underlies the spout of the faucet. Thus when the faucet is turned on, the stream of water emanating from the spout is introduced to the interior of the container.

The dispensing apertures 13, 14 of container 12 are preferably of triangular configuration. Moreover, apertu'res 13, 14 are respectively disposed with their apices in common radial planes which are equally angularly spaced apart. The bases of apertures 13 lie upon a common transverse plane spaced by a small amount from the closed end of the container with the apices of the apertures pointing towards the open end thereof. The bases of apertures 14 are tangent to a common circle radially spaced by a small amount from the periphery of the container. The apices of apertures 14 point radially inward. It will be thus appreciated that the bases of the apertures 13, 14 of each radially aligned set thereof are adjacent each other and separated by narrow right angularly intersecting strips 19, 21 of respectively the peripheral wall and closed end wall of the container.

Considering now the novel arrangement of vanes 16 as arranged to provide a vortex forming action, it will be noted that such vanes project radially inward from the intersecting strips 19, 21 between the respective sets of apertures 13, 14. The face surfaces of each vane are disposed at acute angles to both the inner peripheral wall and inner closed end wall of the container. The vanes are preferably of triangular configuration with their bases aligned with, and substantially coextensive with the bases of the respective sets of apertures 13, 14. The apices of the vanes are disposed in the common radial planes through the apices of the sets of apertures. Although each vane may be provided as a single unitary element, its is preferable that each vane be formed of two spaced vane portions 22, 23 as depicted in the drawing. More particularly, in the preferred configuration vane portion 22 projects from strip 21 adjacent the base of the corresponding aperture 14. The apices of portions 22, 23 then intersect to define a common point. Irrespective of the specific vane configuration, the vanes are preferably, although not necessarily, pitched with respect to the common radial planes through the apices of the apertures and vanes.

With a stream of water directed longitudinally into the container 12 the stream impinges the closed end wall thereof and flows radially outward. The water then encounters the vanes and is thereby guided with a swirling motion about the inner periphery of the container to create a vortex. The swirling motion and vortex producing action are enhanced when the vanes are pitched. Bits of soap placed in the container are rapidly dissolved in the vortex and a soap solution is thus continuously produced and dispensed from apertures 13, 14. In most instances, it is preferable to use hot water in order to facilitate the dissolving action.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, the vane portion 22' is formed convex so as to provide a larger area between the two vane portions 22 and 23. Also in this embodiment there is shown a cup 24 which may be removably engaged over the lower part of the container 12 so as to close the dispensing apertures 13 and 14 when it is desired to retain the liquid in the container and prevent dripping. Desirably the sides of the cup are made to resiliently engage the sides of the container so that the cup will be securely held in place when positioned on the container.

What is claimed is:

1. A soap admixing and dispensing device comprising a cylindrical container having a closed lower end and an open upper end to receive bits of soap and a stream of water, said container having a first plurality of circumferentially spaced triangular apertures in its peripheral wall, said apertures disposed with their bases lying upon a common transverse plane closely spaced to said closed end, said container having a second plurality of circumferentially spaced triangular apertures in its closed end,

said second apertures disposed with their bases tangent to a circle in close radially spaced relation to the peripheral wall of said container pairs of said first and second apertures having their apices disposed upon common radial planes, said container having a plurality of triangular vanes projecting into its interior, said vanes having their bases interposed between said first and second apertures of the respective pairs thereof, said vanes having their apices respectively disposed upon said radial planes, said vanes disposed at acute angles to said peripheral wall and said closed end.

2. A device according to claim 1, further defined by each said vane having a first triangular portion projecting from said peripheral wall with its base coextensive with the base of one of said first apertures, and having a sec ond triangular portion projecting from said closed end with its base coextensive with the base of the corresponding one of said second apertures, said first and second portions having their apices intersecting.

3. A device according to claim 1, further defined by said vanes being pitched with respect to said radial planes.

4. A device according to claim 1 in which the confronting faces of the vanes of each pair are concave.

5. A soap admixing and dispensing device comprising a container having a top opening for receiving a stream of water and bits of soap and a closed lower end, said container having apertures in the peripheral wall thereof adjacent said closed lower end and in said closed lower end, said apertures in the peripheral wall and said apertures in the closed lower end being disposed in pairs having common vertical planes of symmetry, and said container having vanes projecting interiorly from between the apertures of each pair thereof in symmetrical relation to said vertical planes and at acute angles to both said peripheral wall and said closed lower end to produce a vortex of water introduced to said top opening.

6. A device according to claim 5, further defined by said vanes being pitched relative to said vertical planes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 154,861 9/74 Hall 6817 670,234 3/01 Hughen. 2,485,112 10/49 Rose 239-314 2,774,627 12/56 Johnson 2393 14 FOREIGN PATENTS 456,814 5/49 Canada.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SOAP ADMIXING AND DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER HAVING A CLOSED LOWER END AND AN OPEN UPPER END TO RECEIVE BITS OF SOAP AND A STREAM OF WATER, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A FIRST PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED TRIANGULAR APERTURES IN ITS PERIPHERAL WALL, SAID APERTURES DISPOSED WITH THEIR BASES LYING UPON A COMMON TRANSVERSE PLANE CLOSELY SPACED TO SAID CLOSED END, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A SECOND PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED TRIANGULAR APERTURES IN ITS CLOSED END, SAID SECOND APERTURES DISPOSED WITH THEIR BASES TANGENT TO A CIRCLE IN CLOSE RADIALLY SPACED RELATION TO THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID CONTAINER PAIRS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND APERTURES HAVING THEIR APICES DISPOSED UPON COMMON RADIAL PLANES, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRIANGULAR VANES PROJECTING INTO ITS INTERIOR, SAID VANES HAVING THEIR BASES INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND APERTURES OF THE RESPECTIVE PAIRS THEREOF, SAID VANES HAVING THEIR APICES RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED UPON SAID RADIAL PLANES, SAID VANES DISPOSED AT ACUTE ANGLES TO SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AND SAID CLOSED END. 